Feasibility of early ambulation three hours after transfemoral angiography using a 4 French sheath

PURPOSE: Our objective was to evaluate the feasibility of early resumption of ambulation 3 hours after transfemoral angiography using a 4 French sheath. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This prospective study was carried out in a selected group of men and women without impaired blood clotting (prothrombin time > 15 sec) or thrombocytopenia (platelet < 55,000/mm3). The subjects consisted of 66 men and 34 women with a mean age of 62.3 years (range 27-90 years). Incidences of rebleeding or hematoma at the site of femoral catheter insertion were investigated before and after ambulation. Rebleeding was defined as bleeding that required recompression. Hematoma was defined as a palpable, firm collection of subcutaneous blood. RESULTS: Of 100 patients who resumed full ambulation after three hours of bed rest, none (0%) had acute groin hematoma and only three (3%) showed rebleeding that had to be manually compressed. The remaining 97 patients (97%) had no problem after ambulation. CONCLUSION: Supervised resumption of ambulation 3 hours after angiography with a 4 French sheath is safe and feasible in most ambulatory patients undergoing transfemoral angiography.